The middle-aged man in the blue shirt spoke gently, but directly, to Tabitha, as if he had done this a thousand times before with 12-year-old girls like her. In words tailored to her understanding, and designed to make what he was about to do seem normal, not creepy, the man in the blue shirt made it clear that if she didn’t do as he instructed she would not get to go to Disneyland. He merely wanted to show another man what was under Tabitha’s blouse and panties. Her refusal was so firm, and her face so alarmed, that he backed off and tried another tactic. If Tabitha would merely stand still while one of the man’s friends touched her body all over (caressing her in ways that no one ever had) then that would be the end of it, and she could go to Disneyland.

If this were a “real” story, it would likely end in prison terms for the man in the blue shirt and his friends, and a lifetime of psychological problems for Tabitha.

It’s not real … but it is true. It’s an intentionally provocative fictional dramatization of the new airline security protocol used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Without regard for threat potential, airline passengers of all ages can now be forced to make the choice between baring their nakedness before a federal agent, or getting a full-body fingertip groping by another federal agent. The advanced imaging technology (AIT) scanners — AKA strip-search machines — now stand watch in more than 65 airports nationwide, with their numbers set to grow by more than 40 percent at year’s end, thanks to your federal stimulus dollars.

The procedure is so humiliating and so invasive that even flight crews are rebelling. The 11,000-member American Pilots’ Association just received a letter from its leader decrying the humiliation, radiation danger, and ineffectiveness at deterring terrorism of this strip-and-grope regimen.

On October 15, Michael Roberts, a Houston-based pilot for ExpressJet, was on his way to work when the TSA agent asked him to remove his shoes. Roberts has been passing through that airport for four and half years, and typically when he’s in uniform, he can keep his shoes on. So he asked about the change. The TSA lady said he needed to get the AIT scan — electronic strip search. He declined. She called to her colleagues, and through the radio, “We have an opt-out,” and he was the told they would frisk him. He declined. Then began the inquisition: Name? Phone number? Employer? Boss’ phone number? When he asked to go, he was told they had more questions for him.

Long story short, with the help of the Rutherford Institute, Michael Roberts is now on administrative leave and is suing the federal government to recover his, and our, 4th Amendment right to be secure in our “persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches …”.

When I spoke with Roberts this week, he said he hopes more people will refuse the “enhanced” screening and, as often as possible, decline to travel by air, writing to the airlines to let them know why.

Although he has a libertarian streak, Roberts’ objection to the procedure goes beyond personal privacy and political philosophy. He says the screening just doesn’t work. It doesn’t improve passenger safety or deter terrorism. It’s just another example of the federal government closing the barn door after the horse gets out, and violating the rights of the innocent to make it look like the government is doing something about security.

Roberts notes the progression of this liberty-leeching invasion:

After the shoe-bomber attempt, we had to remove our shoes. After the underpants bomber, we had to be electronically strip searched and groped.

What will happen, he asks, after the first time a terrorist smuggles a bomb on a plane inside his rectum or in a breast implant?

There was a time, not too long ago, when that would have been a comedian’s witty one-liner. Now, it sounds more like the future rushing upon us.

If you’re one of those who has basically decided that any indignity is merely the price of safety, consider that so far, it has been airline passengers and on board crews who have prevented tragedy … not the federal government.

It’s time to return the responsibility for flight safety to the airlines and the passengers — who have thus far deployed the only effective countermeasures anyway. It’s time to end the TSA’s strip-and-grope protocol before it becomes so commonplace and accepted that we forget it was ever objectionable. In the memorable words of President Obama (on another topic), it will become “the new normal.”

Having thus submitted to such unconscionable invasion of our bodies and souls, how could we ever rationally draw the line to prevent any sort of federal government encroachment?

Scott Ott co-hosts a news, commentary and humor show called Trifecta on PJTV. He created and hosted the 20-part series on the Constitution titled Freedom's Charter. His satire site, ScrappleFace, spawned three books and praise from Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin and many others.

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“It’s just another example of the federal government closing the barn door after the horse gets out”

Actually, they aren’t closing the barn door at all. They’re GILDING the barn door with all their fancy doodads and expensive staff, but it’s still wide open.

Oh yes. Absolutely right this doesn’t increase passenger safety one bit. My husband is a permanent rep at ICAO and I can vouch that this is all security theater. It is a sad state of affairs that the federal government not only intrudes into our homes re light bulbs, toilet flush etc, but now demands the right to see us “naked”, no doubt soon the right to our orifices as well. I’m seriously considering cutting trips to UK to see my kids and taking the occasional cruise over instead. Enough is enough.

This is a good place to answer the question of effectiveness. That non-existent facet of safety.

All of this is due only to those who claim to be Muslim. Whether they are or not is not important, that is their claim. Therefore we choose to inconvenience everyone rather than profile, the only effective method that can work. But it offends the Muslim. Are their tender feelings more to be honored than mine?

Israel profiles. That means that they can distinguish a rattlesnake from a hog nosed snake, which is completely harmless but can put on quite a show.

If you were walking down a path and encountered a puff adder which you recognized was a puff adder you would not be alarmed but if it was a moccasin you would know to stay out of reach. They are poisonous but would have a reasonably close resemblance to the puff adder or hog nose.

So far only Muslims have been involved in blowing planes out of the sky so why inconvenience every one else and who is the authority that decrees this inconvenience yet says we can’t profile?

Kyle, I’m a frequent business traveler and have found the security at Baltimore to be the absolute worst in terms of their attitude and the invasiveness of the patdowns.

A few weeks ago I refused the body scanner and opted for the patdown instead (this was before the new ‘enhanced’ technique was employed). The rudeness of the TSA agents at BWI cannot be overstated, they make a big production out of anyone who opts out of the scan, yelling “WE HAVE A REFUSAL! WE HAVE A REFUSAL!!”. So, hundreds of people looked over at me as I received my patdown, upon which the TSA retard become suddenly confused over my brastrap. So after waiting 15-20 minutes for a second TSA agent I was taken to a secondary location and had to strip down to my bra in front of two TSA agents with a major attitude. I was so angry I literally had tears running down my eyes as the whole thing was going on. After all that they just said “you can go now”.

I am outraged by the treatment you received. It is absolutely shameful that treating law-abiding US citizens in such a manner is considered “preferable” to possibly offending people by profiling.

Did you write to your member of Congress or the Senate about this? They should at least conduct an informal inquiry and get a reply on your behalf. In fact, I recommend that all travelers write or email to their member of Congress if they have an issue. Enough smoke will get their attention that there might be fire.

Maybe when these TSA morons start shouting “WE HAVE A REFUSAL!” or “WE HAVE AN OPT-OUT!”, the passenger being subjected to the humiliation should shout in an equally loud voice, “WE HAVE A RUDE, INTRUSIVE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE!”, or something to that effect, so that everyone within 200 feet can hear you. They’ve already ruined your day, so you might as well make them feel some of the embarrassment.

You can scream anything you want, the Sheep don’t care, they want to be SAFE. I’ve been on a personal rampage against the TSA for years, they hire the dumbest people they can find and make them feel like their really important. Ok not all TSA people are dumb but its heading that way quickly. I refuse to fly if I can avoid it, I’ll spend a few days driving rather than let some pervert get his rocks off. I’m wondering if Napolitano undergoes this invasion of privacy? Oh wait she’d like it too much.

Your comments are in line with the experience of this traveler that writes for The Atlantic. The TSA personnel in Baltimore intentionally make it humiliating for anyone who dares to refuse the XXX scanners:

Correction to my last post: In The Atlantic guy’s case, the intentional humiliation for choosing the pat-down was in Providence (The Baltimore guys in his case merely hinted at what was to come). Seems like it’s a TSA-wide directive, and not isolated to Baltimore.

That is reprehensible. I hope you will take the advice of others and write to your Congressperson. Thank you for your story. I will be prepared. Without hearing this beforehand, it’s easy to be bullied and accept mistreatment because you are caught off-guard.

It is a shame that more people don’t comprehend how invasive and destructive this is to our civil liberties. Small steps is all it takes, and soon people will be accepting of a full body cavity search. Remember when these scanners first came out, and the public was told it will not see through our underwear, and images CANNOT be recorded? Both assertions turned out to be lies, but now here we are with about half the people accepting of the full nudity scanning.

Amen, Brother! ANYONE who knows anything about security knows that the TSA is a bad joke. I’m no expert, but at the airports I frequent, I can spot DOZENS of ways to get weapons, small (12 oz or so) bottles, etc. past security. Other than causing huge hassles, invading our privacy, slowing down our trips through airports and providing cush jobs for a bunch of losers who couldn’t get hired at Mickey D’s, the TSA does sweet f*** all – and certainly NOTHING to increase our security.

There was an interview, a few years back, with the head of security for El Al Airlines (you know, the Israeli national airline that has NEVER had a successful highjacking??). He was polited, but VERY dismissive of our security procedures. We have a working model (El Al) of a security system that WORKS – why not use it? I guess because it wouldn’t allow the creation of a huge, incompetent federal agency, with lots of high-paying jobs for low-functioning idiots.

Yes. Employment for the common sense challenged! I believe if the National Groping & Stripping Administration is in the planning stages under the new Czar Bill who promise to implement a “hands on” approach. He told us once “I feel your pain” but it seems that his motto as Director of the NGSA will be “I feel your daughter”

The Israel model works in Israel because there’s one airport that has about the same traffic as the Charlotte Airport each day. About 50,000 people go through there daily.

In Israel, people start getting screened while they’re in their car as they approach the airport. That’s the first check. Then there’s more checks in the airport, including an interview. Bad answers? Then you’re in for more questions and a body and bag search.

If we tried to set up that system here, it would mean people would have to get to the airport at least 3 hours before their flights, car back-ups would be major, and for airports that you can take a train to, al alternate pre-airport checkpoint would have to be established.

Plus, in Israel, they ask questions such as: “where have you been?” “how long have you been here?” “Who did you visit?” These questions can give security agents there info to determine how much of a risk the person is. How does that translate here to someone flying from Chicago to JFK? What would be the questions that would set off alarm bells?

To give you an example, back in the 80′s, an Irish woman flew to Israel with her fiance to meet his family, who lived in the Palestinian territories. When she got to the airport to return home, the security agent asked her why she was in Israel, and she said she traveled to meet her fiance’s family and noted the location. The agent then asked where the fiance was. She said he stayed behind and would be traveling later. She got sent for additional screening, and they found a bomb in her backpack. She was pregnant with the fiance’s baby to boot.

So I’m not sure how you take what works in Israel and adopt it here in a way that would work and work efficiently.

I’ve meditated on this topic much the past several days. This this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and even though I’m not a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine, I’ve made up my mind to bravely resist the government and opt out every time. I intend to cause as much discomfort as I can get away with. And I’ll be damned if I send my teen or elementary aged daughter through a scanner.

If they can make an innocent naked bath tub picture of a kid kiddie porn, why not these scanners? Who knows the mind, heart or intent of one of these carefully vetted TSA employees or contractors watching the screens?

If we all opt out, air travel will grind to a halt each day. Costs will skyrocket. Wall Street will cry, “Ouch!” Is it really any safer with these intrusions? Is it worth it? I don’t think so. I choose to stand up for freedom, even if it’s just boarding a plane at the airport.

Just keep in mind, these “carefully vetted” TSA employees were incompetent rent-a-cops before September 11, 2001. A week later put them into federal government uniforms and pinned new badges on them, and suddenly this bunch of Barney Fifes are supposed to be security experts?!

These individuals are not frustrated “RENt A COPS” and that phrase is so worn out you are simply showing your stupidity. I worked the airport in Reno/Tahoe before the government took over and we were not invited to join the TSA They went to the clerks at the airlines desk, Wendy’s, Mickie D’s, and the man on the street to get their screeners as they didn’t want the PROFESSIONAL SECURITY OFFICER’S that were working then, as they wanted to train their own. Rent A Cop—-what a derogatory remark. Look around you and tell me why all the major corporations Banks and manufacturing companies hire companies to provide security to protect their property. Do your children go to school? If so I sure hope the school teachers are more tolerant of those that guard our industries then you appear to be. The fish stinks at the head ( and you appear to be one of those fish) so if they are offending you it is because they are taking orders from those above them; they ( the Guards) didn’t just one day say “Hey lets start grouping people.” Won’t that be fun.

By the way, Yesterday was The Marine Corps birthday and since the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast GUARD are all hired to protect the country called the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and they carry weapons and are hired to keep the peace, do you consider them ‘RENT A COPS?” Just Wondering

As far as I know it is only Muslims that are causing all this security mess plus incompetent government. Profile those who cannot be trusted and leave the rest of us alone. What if it does offend them?

Why don’t male passengers claim discomfort with male initiated pat-downs by claiming they are homosexual. Having a female “aggressively” pat-down a males genitalia will at least provide equal humiliation for both parties as opposed to just one, as well as stretching the resources of the security detail.

The way to defeat terrorism is to close the borders and send immigrant muslims back to where they came from. Repeal the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, and replace it with one that gives preference to newcomers who come from either Western societies (like as when America was founded, you know, with white Europeans)or who, in smaller numbers, come from Asia or Africa and who ARE NOT MUSLIM.

And parents, please do a really good job of teaching your children the history of Europe from the period 632AD through the present, with special emphasis on the Muslim invasions.

I’m old enough to remember when you could set your bag down in a bus station and no one would bother it. If the Muslims were willing to behave themselves we wouldn’t have this problem. I know, doesn’t include every one who prays to Allah but every one who blew up a plane did pray to Allah. Demand we profile. That is not racist.

Permit and encourage active duty and retired military and LEO personnel to travel armed. (Although many enlisted military aren’t generally issued sidearms) Offer stun guns or other non-lethal methods to adult passengers for the duration of the flight.

Sooner or later one of these dirtbags will beat TSA and get a bomb or other device through security that works. What they won’t beat is a plane full of armed citizens who in no uncertain terms will see the plane land safely where it was intended to go.

You can’t stop a properly built bomb with a stun gun, unless you realize that the terrorist is about to attempt detonation, and even then the mere use of a taser might in fact set it off!

However the idea of a planeload of armed citizens is still quite a good idea, problem is you might have people using them at inappropriate times, like gabby passengers or squalling babies or such unwanted behavior!

No more than the number of cases of passengers stabbing others with the plastic forks from the food trays. Good idea about the electrical discharge triggering a bomb, but dry skin and most fabrics are poor conductors, so I’d think it’d take almost a direct connection with one, and even then it would have to be triggerable that way.

While the stun gun is just one possibility, I definitely wouldn’t go with a taser or anything else ranged. Even trained personnel can have aiming problems at close quarters while under stress. I’m thinking more along the lines of a prod-type stunner, kept in chargers mounted above the folding trays.

Of course it’s just a pipe dream in any case. How long has it been since any policy was instituted to make it easier to travel in America?

Still, I can almost feel bad for some of these TSA employees. As Max California observed in 8MM,”there are some things you see that you can’t unsee.”

I recognized the TSA checkpoints as the flashpoints they are in December of 2001.

This is absolutely the time and place for normal, everyday Americans to let the government know that they have gone too far.

The premise is simple: body scanners are equivalent to strip searches, and strip searches are only permissible under very limited circumstances (as in, entering jail as an inmate)

A further simple premise needs to be understood: the government may NOT place a “voluntary” condition of surrendering fundamental rights on a lawful activity (such as flying) that is inconsistent with any aspect of the bill of rights.

The 4th amendment provides that:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. ”

The current litmus test for searches is “reasonable”, but that is NOT what the text says. The text says “Shall not be violated”, and the only exception listed is that of an individual warrant issued upon probable cause.

You’re absolutely right… An effective and low-cost screening method would be to ask anyone wishing to board a plane to kindly place one of their shoe-clad feet on a copy of mahoundianism’s “holy book”, Mein Qurampf. Doing as required would give someone a green light to go to the gate. A prospective passenger refusing to comply could be given directions on how to get to the nearest rent-a-camel (as featured in the linked cartoon.)

Perhaps you’ve seen the video of Muslim women in full burqas waltzing past security in a Canadian airport without their identities being verified. To have demanded to see their faces would’ve been “immodest”. Outrageous!

Since about 2002, I’ve been placing a copy of the koran in the top layer of my carry on. Since I have to take out my laptop to place it on the belt before the x-ray machine, I must take the koran out first.

Of, course, I have some difficulty removing my laptop so the koran is out & clearly visible for a while before the screening station.

Since, I’ve already slowed down the line (& drawn the attention of the tsa’ers), I just happen to leave it out when I put my carry-on through.

Mark E: This sounds sadly dhimmi to me, putting a Koran where TSA can see it so they leave you alone. But doesn’t it reveal the absolute absurdity of the whole exercise: the TSA is PROGRAMMED to give jihad-possible Muslims a pass, but put non-Muslim Americans through the ringer.

It’s obvious to me that the entire thing is all about conditioning: how much denial of our freedoms will we accept before we start making a unanimous stink about the whole thing? And as we become increasingly habituated to having our physical freedoms curtailed in this manner, it is so much easier for us then to accept further encroachment on our liberties. That’s what I think this is all about.

I had a radical idea which I believe would work against the TSA. Since every day we’re hearing more and more invasive stories from the moronic TSA and the incompetent leadership of Big Sis, is it possible that there would be a protest similar to the Tea Party against the TSA taking place at airports? I mean, the airport is a public place where the right to protest should be allowable there. It’s easy to target the entire flying general population by staging protest in front of the TSA gates by telling citizens to “opt out” and then TSA would be overwhelmed to have to pat down with their ridiculous and absurd methods.

Plus, the geographic locations work in the people’s favor (not having to protest in 435 separate districts) since there are only 52 or so international airports in the United States.

I’ve flown so many times and every time I just hate going through the gates since I’m treated like a common criminal even though I’m in the FBI database, have clearances, etc. The problem is the administration refuses to take easy steps to prevent terrorism (the Israeli method of profiling) and they just rather choose to treat everyone including the pilots (although they fly 100K+ pound projectiles) as a criminal.

Here’s a radical idea that might also work. Some have proposed detonation rooms, but this is clearly impractical.

Do you like animals? If so, you probably think baby pigs are cute. How about a “pat the pig” room? Just before boarding a plane, everybody has to pat the pig. All would-be Muslim martyrs know that they will go straight to hell if they die after being defiled by touching a pig. Now there’s no payoff for them. I really am about half serious about this.

I realize this is probably offensive to orthodox Jewish observers, so we could have an opt-out for Jewish people to declare their beliefs, and not have to pat the pig.

Here in Moscow, they have the full-body scanner at one airport. Everyone goes through it without a whimper; they are used to submitting to such treatment by the government. I am a guest in this country, what can I do?

The erosion of natural modesty and personal dignity begins very early here. In the state-run kindergartens, the boys and girls go to the toilet in front of each other. From childhood, they are taught to strip completely for all medical exams.
American doctors here have told me that they have to stop Russian women from stripping. They think it is required for every exam!

Airports are public places, and there should be protests against these fourth amendment violations. There has already been one in a German airport. We have to stand up to rein in such an intrusive and controlling government.

I took a flight from Columbus to Birmingham sometime in 2007. I did not like to take my shows off and all that jazz. I decided then and there that planes do not exist anymore. I refuse to invest in travel industry companies. I have a comfortable car that can take me anywhere I need to go. If I can’t go by car I don’t need to go. I know some people must travel by airplane but I agree that the government and the air industry should be looking for a better solution than the vexing situation travelers experience at present.

How many terrorists has TSA has stopped over the years with its unpleasant, time-consuming passenger searches? Because TSA has never bothered to advertise how effective its searches have been in stopping terrorists, I’m willing to bet that the answer is — NONE. I’ve seen nothing from TSA that justifies their outrageous tactics and their cost.

All of this intimidation and time-wasting while TSA hides its data that would tell us that the end result of this government agency run amok is nothing in terms of enhanced safety for the traveling public. When is someone in charge step going to step in and say “enough”? Until then count me among those who will drive or take the train or stay home.

Glad you asked. Since anyone found by TSA trying to smauggle a bomb onto an airplane would be nationwide news, they have not found anyone trying to do that. Although a few people have actually done it, none of them were caught. And did you know that you can take an opaque, 15 oz bottle labeled “cough syrup” onto a plane in your carry-on bag? Sure thing, check the TSA web site. I have watched the dumb bastards take it out, read it, and put it back in. But don’t try to take a clear bottle of water on board.

I am considering getting a catcher’s cup. When I opt out of the scanner, and they try to grope me, all they will find is hard plastic. Then what?

Scott, you forgot to add this:
“No”, said the nice TSA man, “We can’t search the nice man over there flying in from the M.E. with a one way ticket paid for in cash w/no luggage. That’d be profiling, and profiling’s wrong.”

What chapter and verse makes profiling wrong. Are they confusing profiling with prejudice?

There is nothing wrong with profiling as an identifier, which it is and we use it just as unconsciously as we breath. Shopping for new transportation you are profiling in order to make the best available choice for your new transportation. We have allowed the politically correct to corrupt our understanding of what profiling is. It is a legitimate tool.

I am military retired from navy air force, and can still fly at times
with flight availability.I’d hitch hike up and down I-95 before I
would fly commercial air because of the indignities. TSA is like the
CCC back in the thirty’s and forties. A government make work project
to be used in the military at a later date. You know, like Obumma’s
private army. Call your congress person should you not enjoy the
service of the TVA.

The model of El Al is exactly what is needed, but it would never happen… Know why? It REQUIRES PROFILING!!! Heaven forbid someone suggest that; lets see, who has been killing all the innocent bystanders… Radical Islam, Where do they come from… etc etc. Now I’m not so naive’ to think that “Every” terrorist with a device would be caught with “Visual” profiling, but there are “Many” levels to a proper profile, and it starts with the ticket, and works back from there… I’ve seen that interview mentioned above, and believe me they do a “Thorough” Background on the passengers, profile and all… That is what works, using your Brains and Data that had better match up… not some grope by a TSA stooge who as the astute member above noted, could not complete a Job App at McD’s. Most of these mental midgets who I’ve seen in blue shirts are hires that smack of affirmative action, rather than “Security” backgrounds, with actual Training and I mean REAL Training, not some video class for 8 hours and a one hour lunch break. If they wanted to do some “Real World” Security, the first thing that the TSA would do is start in the Back Room… with the Ground Staff, first of all fire & deport all the Illegal Aliens, how about that for starters!! Then maybe work your way through the cleaning staff, you know the ones that can clean up the floor and the toilets, but could not answer a question put to them in ENGLISH…!! How about that for number two… See what “Profiling” does, it solves Security Problems, and while it may not be PC, it does keep American’s Alive… There I just cut the at risk population at ALL the Airports nationally in half of a paragraph… How many Millions would that save us..? I’m not even going to get into the first paragraph of the article, if these mythical blue shirts were to make a move like that on my daughter, they’d be pulling back a mythical stump.

The Vancouver Sun
Full-body scanners are waste of money, Israeli expert says
A leading Israeli airport security expert says the Canadian government has wasted millions of dollars to install “useless” imaging machines at airports across the country.

“I don’t know why everybody is running to buy these expensive and useless machines. I can overcome the body scanners with enough explosives to bring down a Boeing 747,” Rafi Sela told parliamentarians probing the state of aviation safety in Canada.

“That’s why we haven’t put them in our airport,” Sela said, referring to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, which has some of the toughest security in the world.

This disgrace and perversion is NOT about security! It is all about rabid power and control. Get cancer from the body scanners and have your health destroyed, or submit to you and your family being sexually assaulted. AND, the well-connected in high places, body scanner company, raking in billions off the destroyed health of many millions. Who would ever have thought that the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, would end up like this?

Oh, please. If taking a picture of you is “violating your privacy” then I’m violating your privacy just by looking at you.

And if you’re worried that someone will take a picture of you naked and then do awful things while looking at it, well, my imagination is sufficient to unclothe every woman I encounter. You’re worried about people seeing you naked? In the vast simulation spaces of my mind, being naked is the least of your problems.

Quite frankly, it’s a violation of my personal privacy and liberty, and possibly illegal searching. If they had probable cause (i.e., I’m on a terrorist watch list, or my name popped up in a captured data base, or i’m all sweaty and jittery or glaze-eyed and obviously not in a normal frame of mind, and whatever else a well trained air-marshal might spot), then they could search. But I’d want to see/hear the evidence, and have a duly appointed police officer, or federal agent (FBI, NSA) present, as well as a lawyer.

Further, if they do not have immediate probable cause, then they’d better damn well have a warrant from a duly appointed or elected judge (which actually means they’d have to have some kind of standing probable cause).

Currently, to my knowledge, they have neither for most people. They have a rule and regulation book that they apply haphazardly, to the people least likely to need scrutiny, and by people who are apparently trained in no way to read body language and signals. As such, to my mind, they are in clear violation of the 4th Amendment, and if I had the money (or won the lottery), I’d sue for the violation the next time I traveled.

If I had a child whose name popped up on the ‘search’ screen, or that got chosen by whatever variable they used, and they actually touched her or him, I’d call the cops, and a lawyer. it will be an interesting day when a TSA agent decides to see just how far they can push their authority and luck.

What’s interesting is that with all this, still the people that have been caught are young, muslim males already on the damn plane. Hell, the one from the Sudan had even been warned against by his father, and it was known he traveled in Yemen, of all places, yet he boarded with no problems.

Me? I get my bags physically searched because I have a foil wrapped candy bar, and my sister has a snowglobe that she bought at the previous airport confiscated because to get from one terminal to the next, you leave and re-enter security. Surprisingly, they didn’t take our 2 and a half liters of water.

Christopher I believe that is a good description of profiling which the Israelis use with great success. It is not that the TSA has no alternative but that they refuse to use the most effective one they have as though it is better to offend a thousand honest people to protect the feelings of one outlaw. They are on the same side as the outlaw. If the Muslim terrorist was reasonable there would be no need for all this screening, yet we dare not indict the Muslim because it is a religion of peace and that is tantamount to religious bigotry and racism? We do not hesitate to call a thief a thief, why should we hesitate to call a terrorist a terrorist? What they do should not be sanctioned by any religion.

Well, Scott it is true that this is very invasive and imposes on the modest and shy in a way that is awkward and uncomfortable.

My suggestion is to make this much more of an enjoyable experience. As long as we are going to institute Peeping Tom security measures, we ought to do it as if we mean it.

First, we ought to hire the real experts in this arena, you know, the Bada Bing proprietors.

I suggest two items: a metal detecting stripper pole; and, a lap dance chair that does a full body scan while seated. You can choose either the aerobic or non-aerobic methodology. You pay a dollar each time you go through, it pays for itself and you get something in return. Tipping is optional.

If we ever catch anyone with some extra “junk in their trunk”, the TSA can force them to listen to disco music until they confess the entire plot.

Barbara uses the correct terminology: This is “security theater”. Lots of rules, lots of protocols (most of them exposed to Muslim community representatives in the name of “outreach”), lots of inconvenience, and lots of money spent. And no clear improvement in security. (Bin Laden must be laughing his ass off.)

All of this is to avoid what our leaders are deathly afraid of doing: profiling. I’ve been through Israeli airports, and I’ve been queried about my travels and sometimes a few side questions to see my response. Not a big deal. But they didn’t ask me to take off my shoes. And there’s broad opposition to body scanners – not just because they add little to security (I’m told they wouldn’t have detected the undie-bombs), but because they respect the dignity of their religious passengers – Muslim and Jewish alike. Only those that raise their suspicions are sent aside for more intrusive scrutiny.

So you have a choice: Focus on those more deserving of scrutiny, however politically incorrect, or have your own dignity and privacy assaulted along with that of your child and grandmother.

Hey, grope or strip is SOP for jails and state prisons and asylums. Apparently for all public transportation this is the progressive program for the future, so the uproar must be over a failure to communicate. Some people just don’t know how to come to jail–although generally the staffs of jails and asylums don’t have undergo strip searches, so the pilots and flight crew do have a point. You would think some basic social “profiling,” that all cops and correctional staff currently use, could be transferred to airports? Be that as it may, I suggest everyone forgo public transportation, planes and trains and cruise ships, and rely on the good old automobile. The old infernal combustion engine is actually cost effective, and you don’t have to bend over and spread your cheeks to climb on board.

My wife and I will no longer fly, or even take a train that is subject to TSA inspection. If we can’t get there by car in two days, we don’t go. Period.

The TSA started to get wildly out of control three of four years ago, and it just continues to get worse. Perverts, power trippers, racial hatred, arrogance, thieves, the list just goes on and on. Plus, it’s so obviously a bad joke. Most of these idiots could not find anything if it had a label and a red ribbon. The term “security theater” is so very apt.

I tried to email American Airlines this morning to let them know I won’t be flying, but apparently they aren’t interested in hearing from their customers. Just another reason to stay home.

Dump your airline and tourism-related stocks, if you have any. Not a whole lot of people will continue to put up with this. Maybe business “road warriors”, but not tourists and not the general public. The excesses of our government just never end.

Business teleconferencing should get a nice boost, however. Skype as well.

I can’t believe the airlines aren’t screaming bloody murder over the federal government abusing their customers like this. I used to fly a great deal, but have eliminated flying from my travel scheme for anything under 500 miles since 9-11. Now that the TSA is pulling this crap, I’m extending my no-fly zone to 1,000 miles or more. Screw ‘em.

I stepped out for a smoke and thought long and hard how to fight this. I should state that this may land you on a no-fly list as well.

We should do everything in our power to contribute to employee turnover at TSA. If they can’t find employees to do the jobs, they can’t do this.

1. Everyone should stop bathing at least a week prior to any flight they choose to “opt out” prior to boarding.

2. Wear the clothes you plan on wearing to said flight for the previous 3 days. Sleep in them as well.

3. Guys, think lots of “sexy thoughts” while standing in line.

4. Guys, opt out and when someone is jingling your wedding tackle to determine the nature of that “hard object” in your pants, turn up the charm and try to take that person home with you.

I doubt any TSA staffed airport would be able to handle an onslaught of filthy, smelly, lewd people who leave a trail of stink in their wake. That and feeling dozens of “ready and waiting” sets of wedding tackle should cause any non-criminally insane person to walk out and quit.

It isn’t against TSA regulations to not bathe, and how DARE they discriminate against swingers and homosexuals.

Another, and perhaps less intrusive and personal, method would be to deny funding to the TSA for specific things as suggested here. Without funds to buy virtual strip equipment and to hire the numbers of employees required to grope, those things would be quite difficult to accomplish. I don’t think the federal government can use unpaid volunteers for the latter, no matter how happy they might be to “work” for free.

In an entrepenurial spirit I suggest very! fine metal fibers be woven into underwear material, thus blocking the radiation. The ‘neccesity’ of having then to ‘DO’ everyone, producing NO anything, (it’s just underwear), would shut off this lunacy. Where can I buy a cheap pitchfork and torch?

the single biggest (successful) thing we did for security was hardening cockpit doors and running sterile cockpits.
searching passengers beyond normal weapons/xray does absolutely nothing but makes people feel better.
eyewash.
the cargo bay has ALWAYS been the weak link.

First, let me emphatically state: I am not a terrorist, nor would I ever knowingly harm another living being. But if I have thought of this potential avenue of attack, it is likely the terrorists have as well.

A terrorist does not need to get through “security screening” at all to cause havoc in the air travel system and kill hundreds, if not thousands. There is little security when you enter most airports. How long before one of them detonates a bomb just inside the TERMINAL? What effect would it have, for example, if a terrorist entered the ticketing/check-in area of a major airport during peak travel time, with a large bomb on their person or in the luggage passengers typically arrive at the airport with? That would kill or injure a lot more people than blowing up an airplane, plus do extensive damage to a very expensive facility vital to our economic health (such as it is). When you contemplate the fact that the ticketing and baggage claim areas are on the lower floors, and egress from the upper levels of airports is extremely limited, the potential for loss of life due to the ensuing fires is also considerable. If executed in a coordinated fashion in multiple airports simultaneously, it would also shut down air travel nationwide for some time.

So how is the TSA protecting us by sexually assaulting passengers of all ages or exposing us to dangerous radiation? Should we advocate moving the screening area? Close all but a couple of doors and require all persons wishing to enter the terminal to pass screening? What kind of lines would that cause? How much renovation would most airports undergo to even make this feasible?

What about the parking garage, often attached to the terminal? Curbside check-in lines? Perhaps the airport itself should be restricted and screening should take place far from the terminals?

It is a slippery slope we are on, sacrificing ever more essential liberty for a fleeting illusion of safety. If we continue to accept this, Ben Franklin will be proved right: we will have neither liberty nor safety. And we will deserve neither.

I just had a thought. The reason the terrorists tried the shoe bomber, the undewear bomber, and the liguid explosive plots, was not because they thought they might actually succeed with those bizarre approaches, but because they knew the TSA would grossly overeact, exactly like they have. They get to see americans subjected to daily indignities, see billions of dollars wasted, huge transportation delays, all for the price of a few idiots, willing to try these bizarre plots. Our overreaction to these incidents is causing more anxiety, imposing more cost, and serving the terrorists, far better than if either of these approaches had actually succeeded.

The Israilis have it right. Intelligent, discreet, unpredictable, profiling, and interviews, work far better, at far less cost and inconvenience, than present TSA theatre. But it will never work with the present TSA, because it requires people with brains, who are willing to profile.

Abolish the TSA now. Return security responsibility from the feds, back to the airlines, and allow them to use israeli techniques, and profile. Only they know how to properly balance security, customer service, and cost. And since they are the ones who pay the price if they get it wrong, with less passengers wanting to fly, they have every incentive to get it right, unlike the TSA burocracy, which is only interested in perpetuating their useless government jobs. It is conceivable that the airlines might make a mistake someday, and have an incident occur, but I am willing to pay that slight increase in risk, to have sane airline travel again.

There reason we are subject to these humiliating and degrading procedures is not because of terrorists or Islam.

We are subject to these humiliating and degrading procedures because the TSA has been allowed to grow in power and influence without any oversight, reason, or ethics; ‘theater’ plays better in the press than reality, and it is theater; if politicians were to come out on the side of reason, respect, dignity of the common man, and common sense, their opponent, whatever their politics, would denounce them for ‘making America less secure;’ “safety!!” has become an emotional issue, not an intellectual one, and so no thought goes into it; the seems biased on the issue as something this substantial gets only the most meager coverage.

I had to take a flight in 2003, which was my first experience with the TSA. The first TSA agent I walked by put off a vibe I can only expect from super-max prison guards — save that I’ve a relative who is one and they are far nicer — but I thought it was just one jerk in the bunch. I quickly realized I was wrong. Here I was, law-abiding citizen taking a flight for a happy occasion and every damned one of them looked at me with less regard than I’d give cockroaches in my kitchen. I’ve flown twice since and it’s gotten worse each time.

If this WAS all for “my safety” then they would act the same way cops do, or the national guard, or anyone else who’s job it was to ‘protect and serve’ but they act precisely the opposite. They do NOT inspire confidence, they inspire fear, they intimidate.

If you look at the methodology of the TSA, it describes disturbing parallels. The shouting of ‘opt-out’ to frighten and intimidate — radios are more efficient and cheap enough to be used in restaurants. The gross violations of in pat-downs — cops don’t violate you that way and cops may have reasons to actually fear for their personal lives, this is another aspect of intimidation. Question them at all and you are subject to further intimidation and abuse, have your belongings taken away, your CHILDREN taken away, detained with the intent of having you miss your flight… Given the attitudes of the TSA employees, they seem actively encouraged to be abusive. They project nothing but intimidation and an atmosphere of fear, and it is their wanton abuses of power and our rights of person and property that we fear…who keeps us safe from them??

TSA is a police-state in training. Nazi Germany, former soviet countries, and totalitarians everywhere would be proud.

Quote from 9/11/2001: “I’m not afraid of terrorists; I’m afraid of what we’ll do to ourselves for fear of terrorists.”

Do you really think that the government wants laws to be observed?
They want laws to be broken.
You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against.
This is not the age for beautiful gestures.
The politicians are after power and they mean it.
They know the real trick, and you’d better get wise to it.
There is no way to rule innocent men.
The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals.
Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them.
One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.
Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens?
What’s there in that for anyone?
But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted!
Then you create a nation of law-breakers and you can cash in on their guilt.
Now, that’s the system, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much more independent and free.

One of my neighbors works as an airport security groper. Let’s just say that she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.

My mother and I have known her for many years. My mom knew her since she was a high school student giving her parents hell and getting into trouble.

Many a time my mother has expressed how sorry she feels for this lady, she’s made many mistakes in her life, has contributed to her own unhappiness and has had to rely on neighbors and family to help her out both personally and financially.

Mom would say, “I can’t help but feel sorry for her, she’s not very intelligent, you know.”

The day my mom found out that this mentally challenged woman was hired as airport security she was stunned. “If she’s a good example of who they employ to keep this country safe, we’re not any safer at all!”

I think my mother is a pretty good judge of intelligence. She has a master’s degree in education.

Maybe this is an experiment on our society? Let’s just see how long until the average American Joe gets thoroughly disgusted and says “that’s enough.”

I contacted TSA earlier this year, and asked why certain things are being done instead of security doing their jobs in the first place and paying attention to no fly lists, etc. I asked them why they don’t get some “real” seucurity…. use a metal detector, profiler and dog, as I’d trust a dog’s nose more than any TSA feel up….I mean security pat down. Their answer, and quite angrilly was, that they “can’t afford it”. So I shot back saying that if they didn’t waste money using useless technology and tactics, maybe they could get real security.

I’m still waiting for an answer.

In July, I was pulled aside simply for the crime of wearing an ankle brace that I am unable to take off. Although the TSA person was very nice, and thought the rule of having to pull me out was stupid as well, I was still humiliated. I was made to go into a glass or lucite room, like I was going to explode any minute, where all could see, my leg swabbed (which the next morning had left me with a terrible burn)and my stuff left by itself for anything to happen.

I complained to TSA (not about the TSA person..like I said, she was unbelievably nice…got my shoes for me, asked if I needed any assistance..), told them about the burn from the swabbing, asked them when did wearing a brace become a homeland security issue/crime…but I never received a response.

Now with all this crap going on, I will no longer fly. I have contacted the local airport, who just got one of the stripper machines, the airline I usually fly, the county the airport is in and some politicians. Of course they have all responded.

Since I am in a wheelchair I decided that flying no longer interests me, since getting to my destination is just one more pain in my seating area. Though I would consider Amtrak, since I am a lover of rail travel.

No, I am in no hurry and if they want to see my naked body, well they have bigger problems than what could be described here.

You want to stop this? Quit flying. The airlines ought to start screaming about the time ridership drops 25%. Your individual voice will never be heard, but the industry’s will. Take a train or drive. Leave the flying to fat, ugly businessmen like me. Hey TSA, I got a package for you to squeeze!

My living depends on commercial air travel — and I implore you all to stop flying, stop putting up with this. It saddens me — we all (and I personally to a greater extent just recently!) have the opportunity to travel and see the world and visit distant friends and family.

We must not — not at the cost of dignity and pride and privacy. It has been bad enough already — this is too much. How could I travel with my wife and witness this? How I could I travel and come home to my wife and have her know what I’ve been though? How could we send mom tickets and go meet her at the airport — and know what she’d been through to come see us?

Very interesting and entertaining comments. I too have stopped flying in all but the most extreme work situations. One wonders if we could declare a “fly out” day where everyone doesn’t fly. May 9/11 would be a good day for this. We honor the victims-past (those killed by the muslims), and we honor the victims-present (those being humiliated by our fascist government). Think on it, folks. I am not much of an organizer, but it might work.

We quit flying a few years ago. Did it maybe once a year, but the TSA shoe stuff was too much. I’m tall, bearded, and perhaps a touch ominous looking so I got ‘shoed’ several times on one trip, despite carrying my baby in a chest carrying device (and yes, having to lift off one of those and putting it back on is a pain even after handing the babe to my wife). After that, the lady of the house said ‘enough’, and now we drive.

I’m happy to drive anyways.

And I have little sympathy to the airlines which can’t seem to run their business that well, and always need gov’t help.

Besides, this should be yet another incentive for telecommuting which I’m kinda surprised has yet to really take off. And TC would be great for America for multiple reasons. No daily commutes, no need to live in a big city, less gasoline for pollution and expenses and helping Mideast thugocracies….

I had to go through the body scan, and was not informed of any option to ‘opt out.’ What was wrong with the metal detectors that had been used previously as an extended method to search someone?

Other than my senators and representative, where else can I write to voice my opinion?

(After I was told to go through, I noticed that after me, two elderly women were next to go through. This is not about improving security, I concluded, it is about making the most usage of the scanning machines once they have them. )

If I see some uniformed (or un-uniformed, makes no difference) goon groping a woman or child, or groping ME for that matter, I’m going to be yelling for a policeman as loudly as I can, until one arrives.

When the police arrive, I’ll be shouting that I have witnessed/experienced a FELONY ASSAULT, and that I want to ARREST the perpetrator, who is the TSA thug.

Perhaps some legal beagle will say that in an airport a citizen does not have the right to perform a Citizen’s Arrest; I don’t care, I’m doing it anyway. In California, crazy a place as CA is, a citizen’s arrest is quite legal in almost ANY circumstance (better be sure that you’ve got the facts on your side, tho!)

If you know why this wouldn’t be a good idea, please say so!

This insufferable behaviour really has got to be stopped, any way that it can be.

Everyone should wear a burqa, carry the Koran, and “opt out” of the body scan. Then say it is against their religion to be fondled by strangers.

And then stand back and watch the TSA’s heads explode.

As for me- I haven’t flown in five years, and will not until this nonsense ends.

Why? Because after 2001, I, a 5’2″ 105 lb. middle-aged female, would be picked out for an extensive search every time I flew. It happened three times in a row while I was traveling with my husband in the States. He, however, never got searched. The last time they made me take off my shoes, my belt, and remove my sweater, while they unpacked my carry on bag. I got angry and asked why I kept getting singled out. The woman just shrugged. I decided never again, and haven’t flown since.

At that time there was no physical contact; just a metal wand was passed over my body. And I found that to be too intrusive. There is no way I would put up with someone groping me. I would end up in handcuffs because I would lose my temper and make a scene. And I refuse to submit to an intrusive body scanner. I’m not a criminal and refuse to be treated like one. If the TSA cannot come up with a better process, the airline industry has lost me as a customer for good.

I actually don’t care if these procedures make flying safer or not (I don’t believe they do.) I’d rather drive 24 hours each way (and have) than put up with that hassle.

No American citizen should tolerate Janet Lesbian’s strip searching cr**. Congress should halt this mess immediately. I don’t care if TSA strip searches those in Muslin garb or those with turbans. I do care not care if they strip search non-Americans or those who appear to bre midEastern, Napolitano and her thugs have not business doing this type search.

Apparently, also, the statements of “Michelle” (last name omitted to preserve what’s left of her dignity) were a bundle of lies.

When she attested on the Alex Jones radio show that a male officer “cupped” her breasts, ran his open palms up and down her legs and her “private area” at the Denver airport and that the TSA insisted on “patting down” her 2 daughters, age 20 months and 8 years, she fabricated the whole thing!

I profoundly and profusely apologize for posting such slanders against the fine men and women of the TSA. I now know they were lies and slanders because the TSA says such indignities, which amount to sexual assaults and pedophilia, never happened, aren’t happening, and could never happen under its watch.

Furthermore, according to the TSA, any fears of radiation from airport naked body scanners are totally unfounded, so I therefore also apologize for posting any misleading information on that issue.

The TSA’s own “Blogger Bob” was asked, “Why are you [not] posting about TSA’s ongoing sexual assault on travelers who don’t wish to be irradiated by untested machines run by poorly trained screening clerks?” Blogger Bob responded, “There is no fondling, squeezing, groping, or any sort of sexual assault taking place at airports. You have a professional workforce carrying out procedures they were trained to perform to keep aviation security safe:” http://tiny.cc/c3wgr

Readers who have commented here, and Mr. Ott, are absolutely right: the federal government, with billions at hand and an army of unemployable cretins, lechers, and perverts-by-authority, had not stopped a single committed or attempted terrorist attack. And the chief purpose of the pad-downs and radiation-emitting screening, as Mr. Ott, writes, is to condition Americans and other travelers to being the government’s chattel and subjects, to be processed like cattle going through slaughter houses. The goons and illiterates who work for the TSA can claim all they want that the humiliation and submission to their probing administrations are for the “public good” – they’re just as power hungry as Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi who use the same line.

I stopped flying years ago; I refuse to undergo being treated like a piece of meat, like a suspect considered guilty until proven innocent. Also, I don’t trust myself not to react to the arrogance of TSA employees; I’d lay into any one of them, regardless of gender, and probably be jailed and put on a permanent watch list, ready to be hassled at the whim of any of the TSA’s Cro-Magnons.

Several years ago, at Dallas-Fort Worth airport, I watched these beasts put a group of women through hell by forcing to go through the metal detector over and over again. The women were all wearing “I love America” sweat shirts. The machine kept whistling. I told one of the TSA goons that it was the metal sequins on the shirts that were setting the machine off. He told me to mind my own business before he called a cop. I told him to go f**k himself. It was only at the risk of a cardiac arrest that I refrained from answering him as he deserved. No, I no longer even enter airport buildings. I can’t stand seeing people subjected to that kind of treatment, which has lost all purpose and excuse anyway.

Readers who have commented here, and Mr. Ott, are absolutely right: the federal government, with billions at hand and an army of unemployable cretins, lechers, and perverts-by-authority, had not stopped a single committed or attempted terrorist attack. And the chief purpose of the pad-downs and radiation-emitting screening, as Mr. Ott, writes, is to condition Americans and other travelers to being the government’s chattel and subjects, to be processed like cattle going through slaughter houses. The goons and illiterates who work for the TSA can claim all they want that the humiliation and submission to their probing administrations are for the “public good” – they’re just as power hungry as Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi who use the same line.
I stopped flying years ago; I refuse to undergo being treated like a piece of meat, like a suspect considered guilty until proven innocent. Also, I don’t trust myself not to react to the arrogance of TSA employees; I’d lay into any one of them, regardless of gender, and probably be jailed and put on a permanent watch list, ready to be hassled at the whim of any of the TSA’s Cro-Magnons.
Several years ago, at Dallas-Fort Worth airport, I watched these beasts put a group of women through hell by forcing to go through the metal detector over and over again. The women were all wearing “I love America” sweat shirts. The machine kept whistling. I told one of the TSA goons that it was the metal sequins on the shirts that were setting the machine off. He told me to mind my own business before he called a cop. I told him to go f**k himself. It was only at the risk of a cardiac arrest that I refrained from answering him as he deserved. No, I no longer even enter airport buildings. I can’t stand seeing people subjected to that kind of treatment, which has lost all purpose and excuse anyway.

I’m too broke to ever consider taking a vacation flight to anyhere, and I’m too proud to let anyone other than my wife fondle my balls. Therefore we’re part of the four wheels on the ground new-fangled economy class of traveller. Opt out, disconnect, go primative, and tell ‘em all to go kiss your pimply a$$! If EVERYONE bar none refused to fly without dignity, these bastids would be out of a job so fast you could bet your last dhimi dollah on it.

They finally went over the line, when “the system worked” Jano Incompetano went with the scanners scam. As a parent of a commercial pilot,I fly ‘space available’ free. I was scanned 5 times this summer, with one practice strip search going to my USMC reunion in San Diego. Never again. Flying free isn’t worth it anymore. This goes back to crazy Leon Minetta standardizing the TSA with his PC no profiling rule and is likely to end with passengers and freight being banned next…for fairness of course.

OK the left is opposed to enhanced interrogation of murderous throat cutting terrorist, but seems fine with the public groping of our wife’s and daughter’s. How long before this spreads to all forms of public transport. It would seem stopping the spread of terror would start at the border, not with some deviate publicly fondling our citizens.

If you read “Anne Frank”,maybe you remember that the Nazis inspected the new arrivals by making them walk naked under bright lights so that they could be approved for the work camps. Does anyone besides me see the similarities?

I’m way too poor to travel anywhere but when I first heard about the scanners I said then that I would not fly again. Some people acted like I was stupid to feel that way. The people behind the scanners wouldn’t even know who’s body they were scanning and the scans would be destroyed and not kept anyway. Nothing to be embarrassed about and flying would be much more safe. Well I didn’t buy it then and I’m not buying it now especially since they’ve added the pat downs. I don’t drive so if I ever have the chance to travel somewhere I’ll take the train or Greyhound.

U.S. government message to Americans (and visiting tourists):
We own your bodies; and as the owners of your bodies, we have the right to expose your naked bodies; give you massive amounts of radiation, give you cancers and destroy your lives. If you refuse our humiliating, degrading, health destroying body scanners, we will sexually assault you.

I would not be surprised if the elites are laughing and celebrating at their power and control victory over Americans. This has nothing to do with security, it’s all about destroying our basic human rights and our freedom. Ruling elites know the body scanners are useless: “Full-body scanners are waste of money, Israeli expert says
A leading Israeli airport security expert says the Canadian government has wasted millions of dollars to install “useless” imaging machines at airports across the country.

I am slightly bemused to see the comments here. The common theme seems to be rage at being searched, the money being wasted, refuse to fly or let the airlines do the security. Everyone here is dancing around the elephant in the room and the solution which we all know would solve this problem pronto.
A) Allow racial profiling.

and
B) Stop all Muslim immigration into the USA until further notice.

Anything else is merely useless kabuki theatre. Until these two things are done, plan on being groped, stripped and scanned forever. Case closed.

I’m worried they’ll start doing prostate checks, as well as the internal, appendicitis exam (the surgical attendant said to me “Roll on your side, pull your knees to your chest, and, um, try to relax. This might be a bit cold at first”)

I mean, the next bomb scare is going to be someone with something stuffed up in them that doesn’t scan…will the tsa then do cavity searches too?

I couldn’t agree more. Another thing that needs to be repealed is that stupid liquid rule. I have a doctor’s note to bring extra eye care products on board because I rely on contact lenses for normal vision. When I travel to Africa, I bring extra and can’t expect my bags to always arrive with me, so this is crucial. I get all kinds of trouble as a result. On my return trip, I bring just what fits in a baggie and I still get problems. I hate traveling as a result of this. I don’t go on vacation anymore because of this. It’s better to just stay home. The fact I will be naked for them now is just too much. There is no end to this. I can’t believe people buy into it either. How is taking away my contact lens cleaner (despite my doctor’s note) in London going to make anybody safer? How will seeing me naked make anybody safer?

Yep, I agree BWI is bad. Get up to the front, shoes in hand, laptop out, empty everything out into little basket and proceed through. Huge black guy on three legged stool (think loaf of bread sitting atop a thimble) and his equally huge cohort decide I need to be patted down. Succumb to that BS while the wife watches me begin to boil. FatMan got off his stool to come after me because I didn’t pick up the 15 cents I had left in the little plastic tub. What a scene. I have avoided Baltimore at every chance since then and that was probably 6 years ago.

Hey, it is the price we pay to live the life of Diversity and Tolerance!!! Flood the US with Muslims, enrich our lives!!! Who cares about our tax $$, property and personal rights, our freedom. We wouldn’t want to be called racist for barring the gates to Muslims, after all, only about 25% of them want to kill us!!!

The TSA is a farce. And our country is so freaking PC they deserve what they get. El Al was targeted by terrorists years ago. El Al replied with profiling. Yeah folks that EVIL EVIL word. PROFILING. They don’t use the fancy technology everyone else relies on. But then, you don’t read about ‘shoe bombers’ or ‘diaper bombers’ on El Al flights, do you? “Oh, but we’ll OFFEND someone!” the PC’s will yell. Oh, and why is it that Arabs have no problems flying El Al? Because they are just as interested in their own safety!

Now our WONDROUS TSA has banned the air-transport of toner cartridges. What’s next? Camera? iPods? iPads? Like I said, TSA is a farce. This situation will continue until the American public finally tires of it and causes a big enough stink. Do you think this crap would go on if Nancy Pelosi had to endure it on her weekly flights from California to Washington?

We need to have an “opt-out” all right. About one weeks worth of “opt-out” of complete air travel would get the airlines and Homeland Security’s attention real quick.

Here’s the thing about this. there are alot of TSA officers (yes they are officers) are forced to do this. Most of them work hard with low pay (yes they are paid lowest of any federal worker) and they have to deal with this. Of course there are bad eggs in the bunch but that’s like any job. My question is what some people do as “innocent” may come off as behavior that can be viewed as questionable. As someone who is in security I have see what they do as reasonable-however it depends on public perception. Most people in the public don’t think like a criminal so the thing is they look at many things adversely. However there are smugglers, terrorists can use mules, and the various wanted criminals that could look like anyone. Issue is if the TSA was dismantled you would signal to every terrorist that people rather care about expedience and then you will have massive attacks. The airlines don’t care about security, they just care about filling seats. With the amount of fines the airlines get for safety hazards and the fact they don’t question the massive amounts of fraudulent ID’s and passports that they come across- just strengthens that.

Strangely, the funny thing about what you say about the TSA officers-you all know TSA is primarily made up of active and former military right?

I once worked for “Andy Frain Services”, the low bidder to provide this service in SLC in the early 90′s. I made slightly above minimum wage, but then I was a part time student and many of the others were retirees and bored middle aged (and older) housewives.

Now, they walk in the door to >$30K per year with a huge retirement and benefit package to do the same job with no better class of people.

That being said it is the federal lifer and the political class that sets the rules. The lifers know the key to the fat cushy job is to please the higher ups and to heck with the public or the lower level employees. The poitical class, well, we know they are idiots.

I haven’t flown since the TSA took my 6 month old son (in 2005) out of his car seat/carrier and laid him on the dirty carpeted floor while I was being patted down. He was screaming; I was pissed and crying. The TSA agent yelled at me in front of everyone when I went to pick him up and told me if I moved I would be taken to the back for a full search. The other agent left my son on the floor (where passengers where walking by trying to put back on their own belongings) whilst she continued the search of the carrier and stroller. A Supervisor finally saw what was going on and came and picked up the baby and told me to get my stuff together and move on. She appologized but the other two TSA’s just went on to the next victim – another mother and child. I haven’t flown since. I can’t even imaging what it must be like now.

I want to state for everyone here: The “naked” scanners use sub millimeter wave radiation. It is NOT ionizing radiation. As far as modern medicine and physics can determine, it can not hurt anyone. You are in more danger for standing outside in the sun than you are from one of these scanners.

That said, this damned security theater has got to end. The two biggest changes that were instituted were stronger, more secure cockpit doors, and an unwillingness of passengers and crew to act like sheep in the presence of an attacker.

Let’s put the Compare the TSA with and without the Naked scanner: there is no difference. These emperors are not wearing any clothes.

I remember when TSA was just being formed. A good friend of mine got a temporary job with the federal government interviewing the many thousands of applicants for all the new TSA screener jobs. He told me that as a group these applicants were almost without exception as dumb as a box of rocks. They showed up for their interviews wearing sweats and sandals. They were unkempt, unwashed, and in some cases unshaven. They sometimes did not understand simple questions, their grammar was poor, and quite frequently they could not speak in coherent sentences. For most of them, their level of education was minimal, and previous stable job history was sketchy at best. Some of them even had criminal pasts and some were were drug users. And yet, they were being hired en masse by TSA. My friend quit in disgust after about six weeks.

I work for a SEATAC Airport-based shuttle service. “Do not leave cars parked at the curb, they will be towed” is announced repeatedly on the speakers overhead. Yet, it is common to observe cars parked at the Departures level, with no-one inside them, and no-one near them, at all. I have watched people walk into the terminal leaving their empty cars behind, on the approach drive, without any apparent Port Authority presence noting or caring. I drive through here many times in the course of a workday. There seems to be a lax attitude towards security and enforcement, which belies the attention with which TSA often handles American citizens. I object to being treated like a criminal in order to protect the sensitivities of young unmarried Muslim males. As a class they have been far more likely to endanger the American flying public than grandmothers, nuns, infants, licensed pilots, flight attendants, and VFW members. No official [yet] would dare ask what I had for lunch, or who I slept with, or how many abortions I’ve had: but I must submit to the touch of a stranger in order to board a flight? This is preposterous. This is smoke and mirrors, to make Americans think they are safe, while they are herded through the chutes into who-knows-what. I am not the only person I know who would rather drive 3000 miles for Thanksgiving than submit to this.

I miss having you guys drive me to the airport, assuming you are with the shuttle service I (used to) use. I read the comments here and elsewhere and am amazed at how many people still fly. I love to fly, and I love visiting people and places — I really do hope we can end the run of this sick theater.

I wish there was a way to differentiate between travel off for economic reasons and travel off to avoid the obscenity, the better for airlines and tourist businesses to know what it costs them. I pledge to make some phone calls today letting folks know why I’m not spending money with them…

This is the result of a nation behaving stupidly and electing an anti-American president who has questionable citizenship and absolutely no loyalty to the United States. Is it not time that all of this was stopped? I think it is. Emails, phone calls, and other forms of communication should be employed immediately to elected officials to put a stop to the public molestation of the American people. Does anyone believe that Muslim women wearing their Muslim garbs will endure ‘enhanced pat downs?’ Everyone knows that this will not happen. The Indians have insisted that that there be no turban pat downs. This may indeed happen, however there will be no such special treatment for those who pay the bills for this country. Janet Napolitano is one of the most useless hunks of human debris ever to serve in public office. This cretin needs to be investigated, removed from office, and escorted out of the country. Or else worse needs to happen to her. This woman is a threat to this nation because no American citizen should be forced to submit to rape-lite in order to board an aircraft. Close the borders and keep dark-skinned people out but do not attempt to molest the American public. Profiling is a very good thing and we need to use this technique. We also need to be rid of this administration.

Stop patroising airlines; instead take a couple days and drive. Don’t bother with trains or bus lines… if they are not as bad now, they will be soon.

Take the American Way – the Independent Way. Make your own way to your meeting or what have you… but without airlines.

Shut them down. That’s the only language they will understand.

The TSA is a failed joke of a joke – hijackers “blew their wad” on 9/11; now nobody believes they will be set free after negotiations, and passengers are now trained to attack and kill hijackers as soon as they make themselves known. There is no ROI on hijacking operations now, so efforts to minimize them are virtually pointless.

Focus the efforts on bombs or other attacks that don’t involve people being on-board, sure. But worrying about PEOPLE on aircraft is stupid – there are 200 or so opponents for every potential “hijacker” these days. No security screens are necessary; just a full plane and armed pilots.

We’ll do the rest.

Feel free to lay off the entire “TSA”. In fact, I insist on it.
I’ve had enough wasting of my money on people who don’t produce wealth.

So; When are the psychiatrists going to set up their scanning/profiling tables to isolate travelers with unresolved anger issues?
Or why not just put 5 passengers to each explosion proof container in the freight compartment.
Is it true gays and lesbians are flying more these days? Or are they just going through the TSA scanning stations for thrills?
Who wants to date a TSA screener? Only another TSA screener; But, they always argue about the proper groping technique.
When a TSA screener gets off work, why do they smell so strange?

Just to clarify, a fairly small percentage of the machines currently deployed are MMW (millimeter wave) and the longterm effects of exposure to these is not yet fully understood. Some recent studies suggest they can “unzip” DNA, which is Not Good.

The majority of the AIT machines at US airports are backscatter, which most certainly do use ionizing radiation and which I, as a physician, will not expose myself to unless I agree the potential personal benefits outweigh the well-documented risks of ionizing radiation.

If they touch your childs’ genitals, you need to prosecute them for molestation. Even if, as a parent, you initially allowed it to happen. If an adult acts as a facilitator in an act of illegal child molestation, it DOES NOT make the act of molestation proper. It is a molestation. And as either an a government employee, the childs’ parent, or King of the Pediophiles(what ever silly title you want to bequeath upon yourself or anyone else; YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS TOUCHING THE GENITALS OF A CHILD! IF YOU DO YOU ARE MOLESTING THEM! And you SHOULD go to prison for it. Try to justify it all you want, but when you die we will see what G-D thinks of your filthy soul. Even as a parent; you do not have the right to force your child to let someone sexually touch them. You do not have that right. Your child decides that. If he/she says ‘NO’, that is it. You cannot fly. Take the train. Or the bus. Or drive. You as an adult, can let people molest you, because you can’t stand up for yourself. But your child has the right to NOT be molested by adults.